Seam for garments



March 6, 1934. s. N. wElNi-:R 1,950,367

SEAM FOR GARMENTS Filed April 25, 1953 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 6, 1934 sm Fon GAnMEN'rs l Samuel N. Weiner, Far Rockaway, N. Y., assigner to Camille Lingerie, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application Aoi-11 z5, 1933, serial No. 667,813

This invention relates to seams for garments and particularly it pertains to a new and improved seam for garments which are formed from relatively light material and constitutes a continuation, in part, of my prior application Serial In the fashioning of certain garments, and particularly ladies undergarments from silk, the garments are formed from several pieces of material, the several pieces being secured together by seams. Due mainly to the direction in which the strains a1 e distributed through the several pieces of fabric which form the garment, great diiiiculty has been experienced in preventing rupture of the seams. This is particularly true where seams of ordinary types are employed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved seam which will not rupture under ordinary strains to which the garments are subjected in general use.

A feature of the invention resides in a novel construction whereby two pieces of fabric may be secured together in such a manner that they are free to move relatively to each other in the same plane.

together with their adjacent edges spaced from each other.

Still another object of the invention residesv in a novel construction which will permit of movement of the adjacent edges of the pieces of material in directions both towards and away from each other to relieve the actual attaching seam of strains under ordinary condtions of wear.'

Other features of the invention relate to a novel and improved construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be clearlyunderstood from the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the construction therein shown.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating one type of garment to which the present invention is particularly adapted, -f

Figure 2 is a fragmentaryvplan view on an enlarged scale showing one manner in which the seam functions to relieve the fabric of strains.

Figure 3 isa view similar to Figure 2, but show- B@ ing the reverse face of the garment,

REISSUED Figure 4 is an inverted transverse sectional view. taken on the line 4`4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary inverted perspective view illustrating one step in the method of making a seam in accordance with the present 1nvention, and;

Figure 6 is an inverted' detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated one form of garment to which a seam constructed in accordance with the present inven tion is particularly adapted. The garment herein illustrated is of the type commonly known as a slip. It comprises 'a main body portion A and an upper body portion B. The lower body portion A consists of a plurality of pieces of material and the upper body portion likewise comprises a plurality of pieces of material. The pieces of material in the upper body portion are designated 10 in the drawing and may be cut either on the straight or on the bias. The main body portion and the upper body portion, the latter being composed of the pieces of material 10 are secured together to form the garment by means of seams 11, which in garments 'of this type are generally angularly disposed.

In building these garments, it is the general practice to secure the fabric of the main body portion to th'e pieces which form the upper body portion by an ordinary seam. Due mainly -to the direction and unequal distribution of strain to which the seams are subjected in use, an ordinary seam readily tears. Y

The seam to be hereinafter described is particularly adapted for securing the pieces which form the upper body portion to the lower body portion in garments of this character and this is particularly true where the material employed is relatively thin and light, such for example as silk or where the material possesses different characteristics, as for instance by cuttingone piece on the straight and cutting the other piece or pieces on the bias. i i

In the present seam, the pieces of material to. be joined are not secured together in overlapped relation as in a common seam, but are, instead, secured together with their adjacent edges appreciably spaced from one another. This construction permits of movement of either piece of material independently of the other in the same plane. The construction which I employ to obtain this result also permits of independent movement of the members in opposite'drections, that is to say, towards and away from. each other within certain limitations of course, which, however,'will be suicient to compensate for more than ordinary strain, equally' distributingA the same through the several pieces and thereby preventing rupture of the seam.

In the accompanying drawing I have illusdrawing the seam consists primarily of a pair ofreinforcing elements 13 which extend longitudil nally of and parallel with the edges of the pieces of material to be secured together. reinforcing elements are connected by flexible members 14, which latter are preferably crossed as at 15 and at their point of crossing the flexible members 14 are preferably interlocked one with the other. `'I'he flexible members 14 serve to maintain the adjacent edges of the pieces of fabric to be secured together in spaced relation to one another. By reason of the fact that these members are flexible, the piece of material may bemved towards the other, the flexible members 14 giving suiiiciently topermit this operation, or one of the pieces o f fabric may be moved away from the other as indicated at C in Figure 2, the ilex- `ible members 14 also giving to permit of thisl operation.

Refening to Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, I will describe how the two pieces of fabric' which I have designated D and E are secured together by my improved seam. In Figure 6 the piece of fabric E is provided with a series of foldsA indicated by the reference numerals l5"V and 16. A reinforcing element 13 is then secured to the folded portion as illustrated in Figure 5. by suitable stitching 17, the stitching 17 extending through two of the folds of said series. After this has been nated 20 is folded back as at 21 in Figure 4 and is secured to the main portion of the piece of fabric E by a line of stitching 22. This last folding of the material covers and hides the stitching 17 on the outer surface of the garment as will be observed from an inspection of Figures 2 and 4. 'Ihe piece of fabric D is now attached to the other reinforcing element 13 in the same manner. This construction, as illustrated in Figure 4, maintains the two adjacent edges of the pieces of fabric D and E in spaced relation one to the other.

Refening to Figure l, it will be noted that if v either piece of fabric D or E of the garment is subjected to strain the exible connecting members'14 will permit of free movement within certain limitations which will be as heretofore stated, sufficient to relieve the lines of stitching 17 and 22 sufficiently to prevent rupture of the garment at these points. This is illustrated at C in Figure 2.

While in the present instance I have shown the flexible connecting members 14 as being crossed and interlocked with each other, itis to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to this specific construction and arrangement since these connecting members may extend straight across the intervening space between the adjaunderwearmanufactured from relatively thin and light material such l silk and n fragile and unable to withstand' strains when the several pieces thereof are connected by seams Aof ordinary construction.

While the invention has herein illustrated and described in its preferred forms. it is to be understood that it is not to be limited to the forms described and that it may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit thereof. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

, `1. In a garment including two pieces of material, a'seam structure for securing said pieces together, said seam structure comprising outer folds and an intermediate fold extending along those edges of the garment pieces to be secured together, a reinforcing element extending along each of said folded edges, stitching securing the reinforcing element, said stitching passing through said outer folds and surrounding said intermediate fold and flexible spacing elements normally to hold the edges of the pieces in spaced relation, said spacing elements being arranged in pairs with those of each pair crossed and interu folds extending along those edges of the garment done, the portion of the piece of fabric desigpieces to be secured together, a reinforcing element extending along each of said folded edges,

stitches securing the reinforcing element, said stitching passing through at least two of the folds and another of the folds of the garment covering the stitching at.the outer surface of the garment and flexible spacing elements normally to hold the edges of the pieces in spaced relation.

3. In a garment including two pieces of material one of which -is cut on the bias and one on the straight, a seam structure for securing the pieces together, said seam structure comprising a series of folds extending along those edges of thegarment pieces to be secured together. a reinforcing element extending along each of said folded edges, stitching securing the reinforcing element, said stitching passing through two of said folds and flexible spacing elements normally to hold the edges of the pieces in spaced relation, said spacing elements being arranged in pairs with those of each pair crossed and interlocked atv their point of crossing.

4. In a garment including two pieces of material, one of which pieces is cut on the bias and one on the straight, a seam structure for securing the pieces together comprising a series of folds extending along those edges of the garment pieces to be secured together with'the edge of the garment piece being free, a reinforcing element overlying each of said folded edges, stitching securing the reinforcing element, said stitching passing through two of said folds, iiexible spacing elements secured to and connecting said reinforcing elements normally to hold the folded edges of the pieces in spaced relation and a separate line of stitching extending parallel with each reinforcing element, said last mentioned line of stitching securing the free edge of its respective garment piece to the rear face of the piece. 

